STANDING UP FOR A CITY-SHAPING PROJECT

STANDING UP FOR A CITY-SHAPING PROJECT

The vocal minority disputing the transformative Mariner’s Cove project proposed for Main Beach are halting the Gold Coast’s economic and cultural progress.

The $600 million Mariner’s Cove would rejuvenate underutilised land, create thousands of local jobs and provide a much-needed boost to the economically depressed Tedder Avenue strip.

Its developer, Sunland’s Soheil Abedian, has likened the Zaha Hadid-designed project to international landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and New York’s Guggenheim Museum.

Young Professionals Gold Coast, the city’s peak body representing young business and industry leaders, says Mariner’s Cove is a landmark project which should be assessed on the long-term benefits it presents to the city.

Vice President Melissa Coleman says the loud voice of a single suburb is petitioning against the development, which is not representative of what the whole city wants.

“It is mind-blowing to me that this is even up for debate,” says Coleman.

“Developers, architects, cultural strategists and those with a beautiful vision are throwing millions of dollars at us, yet we prefer to say ‘no thanks’.

“Infrastructure and traffic management will be improved, yet for the inconvenience of a few years of construction, there are people who would rather halt the economic and cultural progress of our city and the state of Queensland.”

Ms Coleman says argument about the preservation of the Spit lacks merit.

“The proposed site is not even ‘the Spit’, it is south of Marina Mirage and is a wasted site that has been sitting empty for decades,” she says.

“And Main Beach residents can't possibly have concerns for height restrictions when they themselves reside in, or are already surrounded by, buildings of up to 45 storeys.

“As a passionate Gold Coaster, this leads me to question why we listen to the minority - I am confident that the majority of the city is excited by such an incredible development.”